Heel-nailing machine.



. E. A; WEBSTER.

l r HEEL NAILING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OOTS, 1904. 900,244. W

.7 l E mj N l 11o f 7 14 9 1z0 .v 9.2. v $;;;;,=///////fA 130U F1114- Patented Oct. 6,1908.

f1v u 110 0 [Uitl-@55M WM 'UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN A. WEBSTER, oE HAVE'EEILL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSICNoB, BY DIBECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To UNITED SHOE MACEINEEYCCMBANY, or PATEBSCN, NEw JERSEY,

A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

HEEL-NAILINe MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.`

Patented. Oct. 6, 1908.

Application mea october 3, 1904. serial No. 226,959.

characters on the drawings representing like parts. Y y

This invention relates to heel nailing machines. y f

The invention is shown as applied to a heel nailing machine in which is employed a vertically movable cross head having a turret thereon, the arrangement being such that the nails are driven downwardly into the heel while the shoe isheld bottom side up. It will be understood, however, that the invention is capable of embodiment in other forms of heelnailing machines-,for example, machines in which thenails are driven upwardly or machines inwhich no4 turret is used. l

In the operation of a heel nailing machine one of the chief diiiculties which have been encountered is to prevent the nails from being driven into the heel in such a direction that they will not pass through, or so close to `the Asides of the heel that they will'been gaged by thetrimming cutter, or the breasting knives, during the operation of finishing the heel. Such occurrences are the cause of much delay and expense,fand while various attempts have beenmade to provide a ,means for guiding the nails effectively while they .are being driven, yet, so far as I am aware," no mechanism has been produced prior t'oV my invention which willguide and Vdirect driving than a `short nail. Furthermore, many high heels, known as French heels, are under-cut at the breast, that is, they eX- tend forwardly beneath the shank of the shoe, so that in ordery to drive the nails so that they will be in the required position in the top lift and yet will pass through the heel without emerging in the breast or without being located so closely thereto that they lwill be struck by the breasting knife, it is essential that the nails be driven in a direction which is more or less oblique to the face of the heel, and which is approximately parallelto the lower portion of the breast thereof when nished.` Furthermore, it is often desirableto drive nails in different directions with the same machine, according to thecharacter of' the work operated upon. For instance, the inclination at which a short nail Ymay be driven is much less than that at' which a longer nail may be driven, and in securing high heels to shoes it is usually necessary, in order to make a tight joint between the edge of the heel and the heel seat, to attach the heels in sections, each section which is attached being secured by nails which pass entirely through the heel and heelseat and are clenched against the jack, so that nails driven after the first sec ftion has been secured must be accurately guided to avoidstriking the nails previously nature above mentioned may be avoided and *inwliich requirements such as those referred to are completelymet.

i 'y An important feature of the invention contor for varying the path of the nail or nails.

The arrangement is such that the nails may kbe inserted in the heel at different degrees of inclination. There is also provision whereby the nails. may not only be driven in a direction oblique to the face of the heel, but, if desired, in a direction perpendicular to the face of the heel. The paths of the nails may bei varied to cause them to be inserted in positions inclined either toward the breast or toward the rear of the heel. According to a convenient construction the paths of the nails are varied by varying their position in nail passages provided with drivers working therein.

@ther features of the invention will be hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the drawings -Figure 1 shows, in' side elevation, the main operating parts of a heel nailing machine to which my invention may be applied. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a nail carrying plate illustrating a simplified form ofV my invention. Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating a preferred form of my invention. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views illustrating different positions of adjustment thereof. Fig. G is a detail plan view of the nail deflecting plates. Fig. 7 is a cross section onthe line a-a of Fig. 3. F ig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the parts in a different position.

In Fig. 1 is illustrated the main operating parts of a form of heel nailing machine of the well-known type which employs a vertically movable cross head 1 in which a turret 2 is mounted, said turret being supported above a jack 3 which isadapted to hold the shoe bottom side up, the frame of the machine supporting a vertically movable` head 4- in which a nail holding plate 7 is provided. Said holder 7 is provided with the usual. series of nail holes or chambers 8 which register with the gang of drivers 9 mounted on the turret.

The particular invention hereafter described is shown as used in connection with a form of heel nailing machine which is provided with means for supporting a heel between a cross bar 22 and a latch 25 against a pressure plate shown as a face plate 13, said plate being secured to the lower side of the holder, and having a series of nail holes 130, therethrough, which register with the holes 8 of the holder. The nail holes S ar but slightly larger in diameter than the head of the. heel nails which are preferably employed in thisconnection, said nails being of wire and having a sharp, flat-sided point, and an annular' head a short distance from the head end thereof.

A pair of flat, rectangular shaped nail deliecting and guiding` plates11 and 12, preferably of hardened steel, are slidably mounted, one above the other, in a correspondingly shaped recess formed in the under side of the holder 7, said recess being open at its front end. The face plate 13 is also secured in a recess formed in the under side of the holder, the lower surface of said plate being flush with the face thereof and said face plate serving as a support for the plates 11 and 12, which are adapted to reciprocate .freely` longitudinally of the holder, their front ends extending a short distance beyond the front end thercof.

A spring 141 is secured at its upper end to the front side of the holder by an adjusting screw 15, the lower end of said spring engaging the protruding front ends of said plates 11 and 12, and the tension of said spring against said plates being adapted to be varied by varying the position of the screw 15. A spring 16 is arranged in a. chamber in the holder in line with the lower plate 12, and engages the rear end thereof. so that said plate 12 is spring-pressed in opposite directions, the position in which it is in equilibrium depending upon the relative. tension of said springs 1-1 and 1G. Each plate 11 and 12 is provided with a series of nail holes 110, 120, corresponding in size and relative location to the chambers 3 of the holder, the upper ends of said holes 11() and 120 and also preferably the holes 13() in the face plate 13 being counter-sunk or beveled as illustratedin Figs. 3 to 7, so that the diameter of the upper ends of said holes is considerably'greater than that of their lower ends.

lV hen both nail guiding plates 11 and 12 are in such ay position that the frontends thereof are flush and both bear against the spring 141, their respective nail holes will be almost wholly out of register, the holes in the lower plate 12 being somewhat in advance of the holes in the plate 11, and in such a position that the front portion of the holes of the upper plate are in front of the rear portion of the holes in the lower plate, leaving an open passage which is approximately elliptical, as shown in Fig. G, and corresponding closely to the cross sectional shape of the pointed ends of the heel nails. The holes in the lower plate 12 are counter-sunk to such an extent that the upper ends thereof will register with the lower ends of the holes in the upper plate under all ordinary conditions, and the length of the upper plate is such, and the extent to which the upper ends of its holes are counter-sunk is such that said plate cannot be pushed inwardly to a position in which the upper ends of its holes will be moved out of register with the lower ends of the chambers S in the holder.

assuming that a nail has been placed iu each chamber 8, said nails will fall down so that their pointed ends will pass through both plates 11 and 12 and be held thereby` with their pointed ends a short distance above the lower surface of face-plate 13, with their front sides bearing against the front side of the holes in the upper plate, and their rear sides bearing against the rear sides of the holes of the lower plates, see Fig. 3, the shape of the apertures which are left open being such that the nails will all be turned with their flat sides facing toward the breast and back of the heel, respectively. When the nails are droppedV into chambers 8, an inclined deflecting surface'will always be presented to the points thereof, until they pass into the holes 130 of the face plate. If the tension of the spring` 1.4 is decreased by unscrewing the screw 15, the spring 16 will overbalance the same correspondingly, and will force forward the lower plate 12 until the condition of equilibrium is restored. i As the lower plate moves forward it will swing the points of the nails forward correspondingly, and, by pressing the sides thereof against the front sides of the holes in the upper plate, the latter will" also be moved forward correspondingly. If the tensionof spring 14 Vis increased, the opposite move-YA ment will take place, so that by varyingf the tension of said spring the points ofthe nails may be swung from a position in which their rear sides bear against the rear sides of the holes 130 in the face plate 13, to a position in which their front sides bear against the front sides of said holes, as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, Fig. 3 illustrating the position in which the nails point toward the. heel end of the shoe, Fig. 4 a position in which they are held perpendicularly to the `upper heel. Obviously, they may be held at any intermediate the spring 14'.

vl/'hen the driver is forced down through the chambers 8, of the holder, the ends of the drivers will engage the heads` of the nails, and force the points thereof down through the plates 11, 12 and 13, and, without varyingv the `inclination yat which said nails are held from the inclination thereof at the beginning of this movement, the upper plate will be forced forward against spring 14 and the under plate will be forced rearwardly against spring V16, by. the nails, -so

that the holes of said plates will be brought into a. position in which they will be nearly in register with each other, and withthe chambers 8, by the time the pointed portions of the nails have been passed throughV Vthe face plate 13:; then, as the -ribs at the heads of the nails, which are immediately followed by the drivers, `are forced through said holes, said plates will be moved so that said holes will be practically in register. It follows, therefore, that the nailswill'rV not only'be held by plates 11 and 12 at the desired inclination with relation to theface of the heel atthe beginning of the driving movement, or while they are being started into the heel, but that they will also be supported transversely and guided by said plates during the whole of the driving operation. The nails having once been driven'into the heel a short distance in the desired direction, they position by simply adjusting will not ordinarily be deflected from this direction while passing entirely through the heel, `although when the nails are particularly long they should be supported transversely between the drivers and the heel while they are being driven, otherwise there is great liability that they will be bent or crippled before their points are clenched. When the nails are driven from the position of Fig. V3, the rear sides thereof will be supported by the face plate 13 and their front sides will be supported by the spring 14 acting through the upper plate 1l; in the posi- Y tion of Fig. 4 they will be supported by the springs 14 and 16, respectively, acting through plates 11 and 12, and in the position of Fig. 5 they will be supported by plate 13 at their front-sides and by spring 16, acting through plate 12, at their rear sides. If the nails are not sufciently supported transversely, it is simply necessary to increase the tension of the springs.

The exact direction in which the nails are driven is of especial importance in securing high heels, for instance, heels which are 1% or 2in'ches thick, as a slight variation of the nails from the desired course is likely to cause them to emerge through the sides of the heels orbe driven too close thereto.

While I prefer to kremploy both plates 11 and l2,`for4 the reason that the nails may be held Vat, any inclination from the extreme forward to the eXtreme backward inclination, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 3, respectively, yet if such eXtreme inclinations only are desired, the lower plate may be omitted and a 'single plate, as 20, may be provided between the face plate 13 and the carrier, as Villustrated in Fig. 2, said plate being provided kwith suitable counter-balancing springs 14 and 16. It will be obvious that if the nails were driven upwardly into the work, instead of downwardly, the function of the deflecting plates would be the same. i f

The above described deflecting means is durable and unlikely to get out of order, but it is principallyadvantageous in that it controls all the nails uniformllyyand enables the operator, by adjusting a single screw, to vary uniformly the manner in which they Shall an be Controlled.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire vto secure by Letters Patent is l 1. In a Vnailing machine, a nail holder having a series of nail chambers therein leadting to its face, a nail deflecting plate movable over the face of said holder and having a corresponding series of nail holes therethroughmeans for holding said plate with its nail holes partly out of register with said chambers, and permitting' movement thereof 'to bring said holes into register therewith,

andl a gang of drivers movable in said chambers, substantially as described.

2. In a nailing machine, a nail holder having a series of nail chambers therein leading to its face, a nail detlecting plate movable over the tace of said holder and having a corresponding series of nail holes therethrough, a spring for holding said plate with its nail holes partly out of register with said chambers, and permitting movement thereof against the action of said spring to bring said holes into register therewith, and a gang of drivers movable in said chambers, substantially as described.

3. In a nailing machine, a nail holder having a series of nail chambers therein leading to its face, a work support, a pair of nail detiecting plates between the tace of said holder and said support, each having nail holes therethrough corresponding to said chambers, and means for holding said plates with their respective nail holes partly out of register with each other, and permitting them to be moved into register with each other' and with said chambers, and a gang of drivers movable through said chambers, substantially as described.

4. In a nailing machine, a nail holder having a series ot nail chambers leading to its face, a nail detlecting plate having a series of nail holes therethrough and movable over t-he face of said holder to bring said holes into coincidence with said chambers, two springs acting to move said plate in opposite directions, and arranged to hold said plate in equilibrium with its nail holes partly in register with the ends of said chambers, means for varying the tension ot' one of said springs to vary the position of said plate, and a gang of drivers movable in said chambers, substantially as described.

5. In a nailing machine, a nail holder having a series of nail chambers leading therethrough, a face plate secured thereto and having a corresponding series of nail holes therethrough, in register with said chambers, and a nail-detleeting plate also having a corresponding series of nail holes therethrough and'slidably mounted between said holder and face plate, and means for holding said detlecting plate with its nail holes partly out of register with the ends of said chambers and permitting movement thereof to bring said holes into register therewith to permit the passage otl the nails therethrough, and a driver gang movable in said chambers, substantially as described.

G. In a nailing machine, a nail holder having a series of nail chambers leading therethrough, a face plate secured thereto and having a corresponding series of nail holes therethrough in register with said chambers, a pair of nail detlecting plates having a corresponding series ot nail holes therethrough, and slidablc one upon the other, and with relation to said holder, between said holder and said tace plate. means tor yieldingly holding said deliecting plates with their holes partly out ot register and permitting movement thereof into register with each other and with said chambers, and a drivel' gang movable in said cl ambers, substantially as described.

7. ln a nailing machine, a nail holder having a series ot' nail chambers leading to the tace thereof, a nail-detleeting plate having a corresponding .ries ot nail holes therethrough, and movable over the 'tace ot said holder to bring its holes into register with said chamlars, said holes being ol greater diameter than said chambers at their adjacent ends and tapering to approximately the same diameter, and means tor holding said plate with its holes partly out of register with the ends ot said chambers, and a gang ot drivers movable in said chambers, substantially as described.

S. In a nailing machine, a nail holder having a series of nail clnnnbers therein leading to its tace, a pair oit nail detlecting plates adjacent the tace olE said holder, each having nail holes therethrough ':orresponding to said chambers, a spring tor holding said plates with their respective nail holes partly out otl register with each other, said plates being movable to bring their holes into register with each other and with the ends oit said chambers, and a driver gang in said chambers, substantially as described.

9.111 a nailing machine, a nail holder having` a series ot nail chambers therein leading to its face, a pair ot nail detieeting plates adjacent the tace of said holder, each having nail holes therethrough corresponding to said chambers, a spring` arranged to engage adjacent ends ot said plates simultaneously and to hold them with their respective nail holes partly out ot register with each other, a spring bearing against the opposite end ol one ot said plates and acting in opposition to said first named spring, said plates being' movable to bring their holes into register with each other and with the ends ot said chambers, and a driver gang in said chambers, substantially as described.

10. in a nailing machine, a. nail holder having a` series ot nail chambers therein leading to its tace, a pair of nail detieeting plates adjacent the tace of said holder, each having nail holes therethrough corresponding to said chambers, a spring arranged to engage adjacent ends of said plates simultaneously and to hold them with their respective nail holes partly out ot register with each other, and means ilor varying the tension of said spring, a spring bearing against their holesinto register Witheach other, andV with the ends of said chambers,`and a driver Vgang in said chambers, substantially as' d`escribed.

11. In a nailing machine, a nail holder having a series of nail chambers passing therethrough and a gang of drivers movable therein, a face plate secured "to the under side of said holder and having a series of nail holes therethrough in register With said chambers, a pair of nail deecting plates arranged between said face plat-e and holder, and having a corresponding series of nail holes therethrough beveled at their upper ends, a spring arm arranged to engage adjacent ends of said detlecting plates simultaneously and to hold them With vtheir respective nail holes partly out of register With each other, and Vmeans for varying the tension of said arm, a spring engaging the opposite end` of the lower plate from said spring arm and acting in opposition thereto, said plates being movable to bring their holes into register With each other and with the ends of' said chambers, substantially as described.

12. In a nailing machine, a nail holder having a series of nail chambers therein, a driver gang movable in said chambers, and means, movable transversely of said chambers, for simultaneously moving the nails therein to diierent positions of parallelism, substantially as described.

13. In a nailing machine, a nail holder having a series of nail chambers therein, a.

driver gang movable in said chambers, and spring actuated means, movable transversely of said chambers, for holding the nails therein approximately parallelto each other and for simultaneously moving them to different positions of parallelism, substantially as described.

14. In a nailing machine, a nail holder having a. series'of nail chambers therein, a driver gang movable in said chambers, and means for holding the nails therein in predetermined relative positions and for simultaneously moving them transversely to diferent corresponding positions, substantially as described.

15. In a nailing machine, a nail-holder having a nail chamber therein, a driver and a nail guide adjustable transversely of said chamber for holding the nail at different inclinations therein, substantially as described.

16. A heel attaching machine, having in combination, a shoe support and aA pressure plate arranged for relative movement to press a heel on the heel seat of a shoe, mechanis'm for driving a group of nails into the heel andthe hee'l seat and adjustable means i for varying the path of the nails With relaarranged for manual control by the operator tion to the face of the pressure plate.

17 A machine of the class described, having in combination, a Work support and a pressure plate arranged for relative movement to subject a heel to pressure, mechanisni for driving agroup of nails into the heel and means for cont-rolling the path of the nails constructed for adjustment to varyV the degree of inclination to the face of the pressure plate at Which the nails are driven.

18. A machine of the class described, having in combination, a 'Work support and a pressure plate arranged for relative movement to subject a heel to pressure, mechanism for driving a group of nails into the heel While held under pressure and means for controlling the path of the nails constructed for adjustment to cause the nails to be driven in a predetermined direction either perpendicular to or oblique to the face of the pressure plate.

19. A machine of the class described, having in combination, a Work support and a pressure plate arranged for relative movement to subject a heel to pressure, mechanism for driving a group of nails into the heel While held under pressure and means for controlling the path of the nails constmcted for adjustment to cause them to be inserted in predetermined positions inclined either toward the breast or toward the rear of the heel.

20. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a nail holder having driver passages, and drivers arranged to move in said passages, of means for controlling the position of nails in said passages constructed to permit the nails to be held in the path of the drivers at different degrees of inclination.

21. A heel attaching machine, having, in combination, means for sustaining a shoe and a heel in attaching position, mechanism for driving nails into the yheel and heel seat, and ,mechanism independent of said sustaining means for varying the path of the nails.

22. A heel nailing machine comprising a longitudinally movable driver, for inserting a nail in a heel, and means for guiding the nail at different predetermined inclinations ameter `than the nail to be driven, means for holding the point end of the nail in different positions in said hole and a driver for foreing the nail into a heel while thus held.

25. A machine of the elass described, having in combination, a shoe support and a pressure plate arranged for relative movement to press a heel upon the heel seat of a shoe, drivers arranged for movement in said pressure plate in a direction perpendicular to the face of said plate, and means for varying the angle relatively to the face of the pressure plate at which the nails are forced from the pressure plate into the heel bythe d rvers.

ln testimony whereof, l have slgned my 1:3 name to this speeiheation, in the presence o1 two subscribing witnesses.

EDVIN A. NVEBI'ER.

litnesses Louis H. HARRDIAN, H. B. Davis.

t It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 900,244, granted October 6, 1908, upon the application of Edwin A. Webster, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, for an improvement in Heel-N ailing Machines, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: Page 5, lines 65 and 66 should be transposed; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record ofthe casein the Patent Oce. i

Signed and sealed this 27th day of October, A.v D., 1908,.

[SEAL] o. o. BILLrNGs,

.Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

